One Poem by Stephen House

 

anything (i should know)

nobody told me

wilting flowers in a cracked grubby vase

makes me sigh and wonder about surviving

(and become emotional if i stare at the flowers)

an old man scratching an old dog’s back

reminds me of hitch-hiking on a dark empty road

(encountering a cat who i’m sure spoke to me)

dead fish floating in a remote country creek

is enough of a reason for me to howl to the sky

(and return to the creek to count how many fish)

the drunk neighbour’s threadbare dressing gown

sends me inside my house with tears in my eyes

(to throw away two t shirts and a pair of mauve socks)

a laughing couple next to me on the crowded bus

results in me getting nervous and sad at the same time

(as their laughs are forced and it’s obvious to all)

the table of people talking aggressively to each other

brings on suicidal thoughts i haven’t had in ages

(making me flee the café to escape angry words)

not looking at my social media for five full days

means the same as climbing a cold silent mountain

(realizing discipline is a blend of reward and unease)

a crying man sending text messages on the corner

inspires me to catch his eye and offer a smile

(attempting to ease how he must be feeling right now)

the dead green parrot on a hot bitumen road

says something to me about the end of our planet

(in regards to boiling alive and creature extinction)

nobody told me anything

(i should know)

Stephen House has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright, and actor. He’s been commissioned often, and had 20 plays produced, with many published by Australian Plays Transform. He’s received several international literature residencies from The Australia Council for the Arts, and an Asialink India literature residency. He’s had two chapbooks published by ICOE Press Australia: ‘real and unreal’ poetry and ‘The Ajoona Guest House’ monologue. His poetry is published often. His next book drops soon. He performs his acclaimed monologues widely. Stephen’s play, ‘Johnny Chico’ ran in Spain for 4 years.